OBIETTIVI: Prof. Capelli’s research program title is “Cardiovascular and skeletal muscle responses to chronic concurrent exercise/training using flywheel technology in adult and old men”, which is a part of a large project funded by means of the European Space Agency MAP contract “Astronaut exercise prescriptions promoting health and fitness on Earth”.
This study is aimed at evaluating the effects of physical training programs based on the flywheel technology (modified for isotonic cycling exercise) in senior subjects (50 to 70 y). We will correlate functional physiological parameters with molecular data related to changes in gene expression investigated in blood cells/muscles.
Male volunteers each will be recruited and randomly assigned to a treatment and control group, respectively. After anthropometrical, physiological and strength evaluation, (V’O2peak, exercise capacity, maximal isometric force of the knee extensors, muscle mass and cross sectional area, oxygen uptake and oxygen delivery kinetics), will perform before and after training program lasting 10 weeks utilising a flywheel inertial ergometer (Yo Yo). After 3 months of recovery a standardised cycling training protocol will be applied following the same scheme.
Functional data will be also correlated with the molecular changes investigated from microarrays analysis after blood sampling.